Five bars, chosen on the record: one James Beard nominee.
Clavel opened in Remington in the summer of 2015 as a taqueria and mezcaleria, founded by Lane Harlan with chef Carlos Raba nixtamalizing corn from Oaxaca and Puebla in house and a bar, directed by Dre Levon, that honors agave distillates from across Mexico and trains its team at the palenques. It takes no reservations, sells bottles to go from its Nixtamalería, and the James Beard Foundation named it an Outstanding Bar finalist in 2024.
Bloom's is the cocktail lounge of the Hotel Ulysses in Mount Vernon, described by the hotel as a chic cocktail bar where, in its words, the art of the cocktail flirts with the room: craft cocktails, nightly events and an intimate lounge atmosphere. It opens at five, Tuesday to Sunday, and runs until one on Friday and Saturday.
Dutch Courage calls itself a gin-centric cocktail bar in the historic Old Goucher neighbourhood, with over a hundred bottles of gin on the shelf, jenever, Old Tom and barrelled gin among them, and a staff that, in its words, has you covered whether you want an adventuresome cocktail or a cold beer. Open from four to ten every day.
The Coral Wig is a cocktail bar from the creators of W.C. Harlan and Fadensonnen, set in the alley beside the Hotel Ulysses in Mount Vernon, with what it calls a dark, moody, jewel-box interior and a cocktail and spirits list inspired by the tropical rums and fruits of the Caribbean, drawn from a childhood on Nevis. Happy hour runs five to seven on weekdays, Monday is industry night, and there are no reservations.
Southpaw describes itself as a neighbourhood cocktail bar just off the beaten path in Fells Point, owner-operated since day one and steeped in classics and local lore. The current menu is posted on the site, the room opens at five from Wednesday to Friday and at three on the weekend, and it takes Monday and Tuesday off.
These 5 are the starting point. The full BarMagazine directory covers every listed bar in Baltimore, with a map, filters by bar type, and new openings as we verify them.
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